Target member and ball thrower



F. H. KING TARGET MEMBER AND BALL THROWER April 1, 1941.

Original Filed Oct. 10, 1958 3nventor Frederick H. King f (Ittomeg Patented Apr. 1, 1941 Original application October 10, 1938, Serial No. I 234,083. Divided and this application April 22, 1940, Serial No. 330,885

Claims.

This invention relates to marble games and particularly to improvements in such games as are disclosed by my Patents 2,097,670 of November 2, 1937, and 2,128,486 of August 30, 1938, and the present application is divisional to my application #234,083, filed October 10, 1938, resulting in Patent 2,199,407.

An object of the invention is to equip a ball or marble throwing target member with a spring clip, whereby said member may be quickly and easilymounted on or detached from an upright supporting plate.

Another object is to equip the target member with a throwing element arranged to swing under impact of a marble or ball, and to provide said upright plate with an opening affording clearance to the throwing element, when swung.

A further object is to provide an improved pivotal mounting for the throwing element.

These and various other objects are attained by the construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, where- Fig; 1 is a perspective view of the improved game.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the marble throwing target and the enclosure wall carrying same.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the throwing position of the target.

Fig, 4 is a cross sectional view of the target taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

In these views, the reference character I designates a horizontally elongated target plate supported in an upright position by a pair of plates 2 rearwardly extending from its end portions, and interconnected at their rear ends by a plate 3. The plates l, 2 and 3 form a substantially rectangular enclosure into which marbles or the like may be propelled through a set of arched openings 4, 5, and 6, formed in the target plate and rising from its lower margin. Said plates are preferably formed of sheet metal, their interconnection, which is no feature of the present invention, being such as to afford a ready assembly and disassembly to facilitate packaging, shipment, and storage of the game. Adjacent to and preferably above each opening, a score number is marked on the front of the target plate, the scoring value of the central opening being, as illustrated, and that of the other two openings 5.

The rear wall 3 has its lower portion bent rearwardly at a gradual downward inclination as indicated at I to form a marble stop, and the rear marginal portion 8 of such stop is preferably bent vertically downward, between" the plates 2.

Rearwardly registered with the openings 4, 5 and 6 are notches 9 in the upper edge of the plate 3 and slits l0 similarly spaced downwardly from said notches for engagement by a marblethrowing target member, and it is further preferred to form said plate-with an opening ll beneath each slit ID to afford the target member full freedom of action, as will presently appear,

in exercising its marble-throwing function.

.The target member consists of a supporting bracket and a pivotal holder and thrower for a scoring or king marble l2. Said bracket comprises an arched spring clip [3 adapted to straddle the wall 3, the front leg of such clip having a lower detent portion l4 rearwardly bent and thus adapted to engage in the slit l0 below a notch 9 receiving the clip. When the clip has been slipped downwardly on the wall 3 sulficiently to register its detent portion with a slit l0, said portion snaps into such slit. The lower end portion of the rear leg of the clip is rearwardly bent to form a fingerpiece I5 facilitating removal of the target member, when desired. Integral with and forwardly extending fromthe clip is a pair of spaced arms l6, upon and between which is pivoted a marble thrower comprising an approximately U-shaped member I! normally disposed between the arms l6 and providing a seat for the marble l2, and a spring trip arm [8 formed integrally with the member l1, and normally extending downwardly from such member, at its front end. The pivot member for the element l I, I 8 consists of a length of wire l9 having its ends journaled in the forward portions of the arms l6, such wire being offset downwardly in a U form between the arms, as best appears in Fig. 4, and extended freely through an opening formed in said element between its parts I! and I8. This opening results from forming said element with two short, spaced parallel slits, and offsetting the metal between such slits oppositely from that at the outer sides of the slits. The rear end portion of the member I! normally seats freely on the clip [3, as is seen in Fig. 2, and said member is formed with a slight arch or hump 20 at its clip-engaging portion which assists materially in forwardly directing the king marble when the trip arm is actuated. The corners formed by the intersection of the front and lower edges of the arms l6 are bent slightly outward, as best appears in Fig.

4, to assure clearance thereof from the marble thrower as the latter pivots.

In use of the described game, the players shoot or roll marbles at the target from some selected position, and delivery of a marble through an opening 4, 5, or 6 scores for the player according to the number marked adjacent to such opening on the target plate. If a marble so delivered further encounters the trip arm l8 and thereby dislodges the king marble, the score is doubled. If the dislodged marble rolls forwardly through one of the openings 4, 5, or 6, the score is further increased by the score number of such opening.

It is desired to retain in the enclosure all marbles delivered through the openings of the target plate and failing to encounter the trip arm l8. Formation of the rear wall 3 with the inclined lower portion 1 contributes materially to the desired result since said portion 1 very largely reduces the rebound of marbles encountering said rear wall and hence reduces the likelihood of their escaping through the target plate openings.

The described pivotal mounting of the marble thrower increases the freedom of response of the thrower to impact of a played marble and the openings H in the plate 3 efiect a further such increase, as is apparent from Fig. 3. It is desirable to afford the marble thrower a vigorous response to impact on the trip arm since interest may be added to the game by adding an arbitrary number to the score in case the king marble is thrown forward a certain distance.

The invention is presented as including all such modifications and changes as come within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a marble game, the combination with an upright plate, having a notch in its upper edge and formed with an opening at a point below such notch, of a marble target member mounted on said plate and including an arched spring clip set into the notch and straddling the upper portion of the plate, said clip having one of its legs projecting below the other and bent to engage in said opening to hold the clip releasably in place.

2. A marble target member comprising a supporting clip, a pair of spaced, substantially parallel arms integrally projecting from the clip, a wire hanger member jointly pivoted'in said arms and having a substantially U-sltaped portion b tween the arms, and a sheet metal marble thrower pivoted on said U-shaped portion and comprising a marble holder normally positioned between the arms and a trip arm normally projecting downwardly, forwardly of the pivotal axis of the marble thrower.

3. In a marble game, the combination with a spring clip, of a marble target member carried by said clip, said clip being arched to form legs for straddling a support, such legs having bent ends. one for engagement in an opening of said support and the other to form a finger-piece for manipulating the clip.

4. In a marble game, the combination with a marble thrower comprising a marble carrier and a trip arm for actuating such carrier, of a support for said thrower, means pivoting the thrower on the support, and a substantially upright plate detachably engaged by the support, said plate having an opening accommodating the trip arm, upon actuation of the thrower.

5. A marble target member comprising a marble holder providing a seat for a marble, a trip arm rigidly connected to said holder forwardly of said seat and downwardly projecting from the holder for receiving impact, and resiliently yieldable in the direction of impact, and pivot means for said member engaging same at the approximate juncture of holder and arm.

FREDERICK H. KING. 

